An embodiment relates generally to vehicle vision-based systems.
Vision-based image systems such as rear-back up cameras are used to generate a real-time scene for the driver of surrounding environment of the vehicle while the vehicle is stationary or backing up. This allows a driver to monitor if any obstacles, such as a human, are in the travel path of the rearward driven vehicle. The system relies on a vision-imaging device such as a video camera capturing images of a region behind the vehicle as it travels rearward. The captured image is transmitted to a video display screen within the passenger compartment where the captured environment is displayed to a driver.
A problem may present itself when the video exhibits a non-functional condition which is unnoticed by the driver. A non-functional condition may occur if the video signal is freezing during transmission or is blocked by dirt or another object. A driver casually glancing at the video screen may be unaware that in the short distance that the vehicle travels, the captured image has not changed. As a result, it would be advantageous to automatically detect whether the video-based imaging system is functioning properly.